Radio antenna for automobiles



Aug. 1941- J. H. COHEN RADIO ANTENNA FOR AUTOMOBILES OR hen,

INVENT 11. Co

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 drlrflfll/l/l/Id Filed March 25, 19 37 Aug. 12,1941; J. H. COHEN RADIO ANTENNA FOR AUTOMOBILES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 25, 1937' INVENTOR p v Jaseplz f. h m.

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Patented Aug. 12, 1941 fJNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 2,252,395 a, ,1 I RADIO ANTENNA FOR AUTOMOBILES" Joseph H. Cohen, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Oasco Products Corporation,Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application March 25, 1937,Serial No. 132,991

' ,6 Claims- (o1 .2s6 33) This invention relates to radio antennas, and, more particularly, aims to provide'a' novel and valuable radio antenna to be carried by an automobile.

The installation of radio-receiving sets'in automobiles is becoming more and more wide guide.

A feature of the invention, therefore, is the provision of a single attachment which isso constructed that it is a combined fender guide and fender of the car, preferably as part of a fender radio antenna, and in which, preferably; the staff of the fender guide constitutes the antenna.

The staff of a fender guide is usually a hollow metaltube, to obtain rigidity with lightweight, and often to allow for passage, through the tube, of'an insulated current supply wire leading to one terminal of an illuminating bulb in a hollow target at the top of the fender guide. Where the guide has a target which is thusto be illuminated, the other terminal of the bulb is usually grounded through the staff and through a metal clamping means by which the guide is secured to the fender. But with th staff grounded, it cannot act as an antenna. 7

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a combination'of parts such that the difficulty just referred to is overcome. A now preferred arrangement for the purpose, in carrying out the invention, is one in which the staff is insulated against being grounded to the car through the clampnig means, but one in which i at the same time one terminal of the bulb is grounded to the car fender through the clamping means.

A feature of the invention, whether or not the fender guide has a target which is to be illuminated by a. contained electric bulb, is the provision of a combined fender guide and radio antenna, in which the fender guide staff is of metal, in which this staff acts as the antenna, and in which the staff is carried by but electrically insulated from a metal clamping means for securing the fender guide to a car fender.

Ina fender guide it is desirable to have the lower end of the staff universally adjustabl relative to the clamping means, so that even though the'clamping means may be somewhat tilted laterally or longitudinally of x the automobileafter its securement' toa'fendenthe staff may then be adjusted to vertical position.

" Another feature of the invention, in theabove connection, is the provision of a combined fender guide and radio antenna, in which the fender guide staff is of metal, in which the staff acts as the antenna, and in which'the staff, angularly adjustable relative to the metal clamping means, by way of a metal interponent between the staff and the clamping means, and which interponent is in electrically conductive relation to the clampingmeans, is electricallyinsulated from such in- I terponent.

Afurther feature of the invention is the provision of a combined fender guide and radio antenna, in'which the metal'staff of the fender guide acts asthe antenna, and in which such stafi 'is'adjustable to varythe effective length of the antenna.

In a broad aspect, the invention provides a fender-carried post-like structure so constructed that a main metal portion thereof provides an aerial for a radio receiver on the car.

Other features and advantages will be hereinafter apparent.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a combined fender guide and radio antenna according to the invention, clamped to a fendera portion of which is shown in section.

Fig. 2 illustrates the upper portion of the embodiment of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale and in axial section.

Fig. 3' is a'view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the lower part of the device.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of another embodiment of the invention, and one wherein the staff is telescopic in construction for variation of the effective length of the antenna.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the device of Fig. 4, but with the telescoping sections of the staff rearranged to lower the target level, but to have it somewhat above its usual one in an ordinary tions for coupling them when adjusted to a deat the bottom of the staff, whereby the fender guide can be secured in upright position on an automobile fender l3. The clamping means of the staff may be screwed tight into the bushing. In order to strengthen and dress up the insulator, and also to increase the capacitive effect of the antenna, the insulator is shown as enclosed within a metal shell 2| metallically connected to the stafi by way of the bushing 20.

The target H is shown as of the knob type, and includes a main metal housing 22, of sleeve form, providing an upper chamber 22a and beloW this chamber a bore 22b matching the outside diameter of the staff Ill. At the bottom of the chamber 22 is an annular wall 220., and the top of the chamber is enlarged above an annular shown is described and claimed in my .copending application Serial No. 94,911, filed August 8,

1936, and is now preferred, but, as will be understood, any suitable type of means for securing the fender guide properly to' a fender may be employed. The securing means 12 includes an channel 'and a horizontal channel, the latter belowthe'end of the fender bead I3a. In my copending application aforesaid, these channels were'provided' for the accommodation of acu'rrent supply wire for an electric light bulb in the hollow target at the top of the fender guide. I'n'th'e present ca'sQthse channels are employed for the accommodation of a plurality of wires as'willbelater'explained.

The v'rtic'al'channel just'referred to, marked mainjnigys, continues an the way up to the Tto'pof the vertical limb of the'bracket 14, which limb at "its upper'end is'curl'ed around to form a split neck l6. This neck is externally threaded, s'ojtliat a'metal nut I! 'may be tightened up on the same. The top of the neck I 6' has'a spheric'ally'a'nnular seat I 6a, and" the nut 11 has a similar but' oppositely facing seat Ila. These seats form the socket of a'ball-and-sock et rnount ing for a metal piece 18; the piece I'8 carrying the ball 18a of such mounting at'itslo wer end.

The upper end of piece I8 is externally threaded, and screwed directly thereon is the lower end of a tubular insulator l9 in'the upper end of which is mounted the lower end of staff Thus the staff [Dis carried by the metal securing means l2, and the staff maybe universally inclined relative to the axis of the neck l6 of the bracket i l in order to set the stafi vertical and so properly place the target after securement of the bracket to the fender, but, nevertheless, the staif is insulat ed against being grounded through thebracket despite the fact thatthe ball IBa is.a metal interponent supporting the stafi and in direct contact with the bracket.

I The insulator I9 is shaped interiorly to provide a lower recess hreaded for receiving the upper threadedportion of the metal piece I8 an upper recess threaded for having screwed therein a diameter matching that of a bore running through the metal piece l8 from top to bottom of the latter. The bushing 20 is internally threaded, and thelower' end of the stair Ill is a metal bushing 20, and an intermediate bore of e externally threadedfso that :after screwing'the bushing tight into the insulator, the lowerend swell,22c. l itted within the chamber 22a is an insulatorsleeve 23, and within the latter is I a -metal socket 24 threaded for the mounting therein of the base 25a of an electric bulb 25.

'Tiii's bulb is for illuminating the desired part of the target, and such part is here shown as comprising a dome 26a forming the top portion of a c'aQ'ZG oftran'sluceht material. Dome 26a is integrally carried at the top of a central hollow si'ee'Ve'ZBb internally threaded to take an external thread on the upper end of housing 22. An upwardly flaring conical metal skirt 2'! limits thei lluminabl'e area oithe target to that of dome 26a, the upper end of the skirt being set in a groove running around the periphery of the dome and the'lower end of the skirt being flanged in under the sleeve 26b. The housing thread which takes the cap 26, also takes a nut 28, so that when the cap has been screwed well down on the'ho'using 22, with the nut 28 all the way down'l'on the housing, the nut may be screwed uptoilock the cap securely in place.

While the target ll may 'be secured to the upper end of the staff l0 in any suitable way, such'securing means is shown in the present case as inclu'din'ga nib-screw Ha.

The contact i'n'the socket 24 for the central terminalof the bulb issh'own as of conventional type, being the upper end of a coil spring 29 posinenea'ma block 30 of insulation in the bottom of secret 24. The lower and larger end of this spring rests in a recess in the top of the bloek 3'ill, and below this recess the block has a. shouldered here as illustrated overlying an opening 24;; in the socket bottom.

To thelower end of the spring 29 is connected, as by soldering, the bared end of an insulated Wire 3l, this wire-end fitting in the upper or smaller diametered part of the shouldered bore of block 30, and an end length of the insulation .3 |a of the wire fitting in the lower and larger part of such bore. The wire 3l and its insulation 3la continuedown through the opening 24a and thechamber 22a, and thence all the way down through the hollow stafi ID, the insulator-chamber I9a, the metal piece 18 and the channel l5 ofthe bracket l4, and thence under the bead l 3a of the fender, for extension to connection with a current source on the automobile.

According to the invention, as the same is illustrated in the embodiment now being described, the-circuit for the bulb 25 beyond the socket 24 which 'contacts the other terminal of the lamp base, iscompleted down through the fender *guide, but, at the same time, the stafi H) is insulatedagainst grounding so that it can be employedfas'a radio antenna. This result is here accomplished by providing an insulatedwire 32 leading from the'socket 24 down through the staff l'fl'fand thence through the central bore of insulator Hi, to the'metal piece I 8 forming part of the ball-and-socket mounting for the sta at the upper end of thebracket |4.

The insulation 32a of the wire 3: completely covers the latter-except close to itsopposite ends, where the wire 32 is bared only Lenoughto allow the upper wire-end to be solderedto the socket 24 and the lower. wire-end to be gripped in familiar type of eyelet-clip 33.

Thus, as shown, at the upper end of the wire 32 the insulation 32a extends high enough to prevent contact of the wire with the stall l0, and at the lower end of this wire its insulation extends down far enough to prevent contact of the wire with the staff. While the upper end of the wire 32 is connected to the socket 24, the socket is completely insulated from the housing 22, and hence from the staff, by the insulator sleeve 23. At the lower end of the wire 32 its insulation extends well down within the central boreof the insulator l9. 1

It will be noted that by these arrangements the stafi 23 is completely insulated atits upper end. And, as already stated, the stair at? its lower endis prevented by the insulator 19 from being grounded to the bracket l4. At the. same time, however, the bulb 25, throughthe socket 24 and the wire 32, is grounded to the bracket. In order to' make proper connection of the stall ID as an antenna, to a radio receiver on the car, an insulated wire 34 is provided which runs down through the central bore of theinsulator It, then through the .metal piece |8 into the channel I of the bracket l4, and then under the bead |3a of the fender for extension to the radio receiver. The insulation 34a of this wire covers the latter completely except close. to the upper end of, the wire, where bared only sufficiently to allow it to be gripped in an eyeletclip 35. i

As shown in Fig. 3, the wires 32 and 34, where they pass each other, are separated bythe insulation of both, and there is no chance of the stair Ill being accidentally grounded through contact of these two wires. 1

In assembling the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3, care should be taken that the insulation of wires 3|, 32 and 34' extend close to the bared ends of the wires whereconnected to the fender guide parts, to hold each wire to its appointed function as above described. It is important in this connection to have the wire 32 of such length that when the parts are finally assembled, as illustrated, there will be no slack in this wire such as will allow it to touch a part of either of the other two wires when they are extended through the fender guide.

' The embodiment now being described may be assembled to avoid undesirable slack in the wire 32, aswill now be described. w j a The bared ends of the wires 32' and 34, after the wire 32 has been precut to the proper length, are, coiled around within the annular channels of the eyelet-clips 33 and 35, and these clips are axially compressed so as securely to seize the wire coils. The main length of the, wires are then bent perpendicular to the fiat of the eyelets, and so that thewires'nowhereextend beyond the peripheral limits of theeyelets, this being permitted by a notch (not shown) in the approprate eyelet flange. As the next step, theparts of the device'shown in Fig. 3 are first assembled. "Before any'of the parts shown in Fig. 3 as above the'metal piece 18 are added, the wires 3| and 34 are'passed through the bore of the piece |8. Since the wire should" sulator I9. Next, the wire 32 is drawn up through this insulator, with its end gripped by the eyeletclip 33 lowermost, until the clip 33 is drawn up into the lower recess in the insulator as illustrated. The insulator is then screwed up tight on the upper end of the piece l8, thus clamping the eyelet-clip 33 in place. Next, the wire 34 is pulleddown to draw the eyelet-clip '35, on the upper end of that wire, into the bottom of the upper recess in the insulator l9, thus clamping theeyelet-clip 35 in place. After this, the bushing 20 is screwed tight in the upper end of the insulator. The wires 3| and 32 are thenpassed throughithe as yet unconnected staff Ill, and the staff is screwed up tight in the bushing. o

. The parts next to be assembled are those shown at the upper portion of Fig. 2.

With the housing 22 disconnected from the staff l0, and with the cap 26 disconnected from the housing, and with the bulb 25 not yet in place, a workable length of the wire 3| is drawn up above the top of. the staff, and the upper end of this wire is bared to a length slightly greater than. that of the upper reduced portion of the bore in the lower part of insulationblock 30. This bared wire length is sent up into the block bore, so that a length of insulation 3|a fills the lower larger part of the bore as shown, and then the upper end of the bared wire length is soldered to the lower end of the spring 29. Next, with the nib-screw la retracted to the necessary extent, the housing 22 is placed on the upper end of the staff, and slipped down along the same until the top of the housing is brought down at least as low as the top of the staff. The housing may be dropped down the staff all the way to the bushing .20, or it may be temporarily set at any desired position by tightening up the nibscrew Ha. As a result of this downward movement of the housing, and with it the insulator sleeve 23, which latter is fitted more tightly in the housing than around the socket 24, the socket will be left exposed, As thus exposed, the socket will be elevated as in Fig. 2., With the socket thus exposed and elevated, soldering of the upper end of the wire 32 to the bottom of the socket, as shown in Fig. 2, is easily done, despite the fact that the wire 32 is of a length such that it is to have no appreciable slack in the finished device. l

' ,When, now, the housing 22 is pushed along the staff, to the location illustrated, so that the nib of the screw Ila may be advanced by turning. of the screw into the most convenient one of several nib holes l'lb provided in the upper end of the staff, all the parts of Fig. 2 will automatically become finally assembled as there shown. During theupward movement of the housing to the position of Fig. 2, the insulator sleeve 23 moves up relativeto the socket 24 until a shoulder in the sleeve engages'the bottom of the thread of the socket asil lustrated. The shoulder last referred to is the inside face of an annular swell of the sleeve substantially opposite the annular swell 220 of the housing 22. There is some play shown between these swells, but this is merely to facilitate initial assembly of the insulator sleeve within the housing while allowing for slight" variations of shape between different sleeves.

The swell in the insulatorsleeve 23 is so located along the length of thelatter, and relative to the when the operations above des'cribdhavefibeen completed and the nib-screw llais tightened up to finally assemble the device, the wire.32, without appreciable slack, will'be housed in the fender guide and connected to interiorparts thereof as intended.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs; 4 to 7, there-is shown a fender guide having a non-illuminated target 36 carried at the upper end of the topsection of. a. threesection telescopic staff 31;"

As shown, the bottomtubular section 38 is mounted at its lower end exactly as is the stafi as in Figs. 1 to 3; that is, this sectio'nis screwed down into a bushing 20, which in turn is screwed down into the. upper, portion'of an insulator l9, and this insulator is screwed to'the top of a metal piece I8 which,.with the nut I1 and a bracket l4, provides a ball-and-socket adjusting and holding means for the bottom of the staff. The bracket I4 is, as in Figs. 1 to 3, part of a securing means [2 including also a clamp plate l5 and a draft screw I5 whereby the fender guide may be mounted on an automobile fender l3.

slidably received in the staff section 38, is another tubular stafisection 39, and slidably received in the section 39 is a rod section 40, this last being the section which has suitably mounted on its top the target 36. 1

Fig. 1 shows each of the two upper sections as extended fully above the section therebelow, while Fig. 2 shows the top section 40 considerably but only partially extended above the section 39 and the lower section almost wholly collapsed in the bottom section 38. By variously extending and collapsing one or more of. the sections relative to the others, the fender'guide may be given any desired length, to vary the effective length of the staff 31 when used as a radio antenna The staff sections 38, 39 and 40 areof -metal, in good contact where they overlap, and in the same way as in Figs. 1 to 3, the staff asa radio antenna is prevented by the insulator l9 from being grounded by way of the bracket l4 or the ball-and-socket mounting including the metal piece I8.

The means for permitting telescopic adjustment of the staff 31, and for clamping the staff in the adjustment selected, thereby to obtain good contact between the different. staff sections, includes a nut 4| at the top of each of the two lower tubular sections 38 and 39. The upper end of each of these sections is longitudinally slotted, as at 42 in Fig. 7, and this slot interrupts an external thread on the section for taking the nutthread. The upper interior of the nut, above its thread, is shaped to have a conical wall 43. When an upper section is telescoped to the desired extent within a section therebelow, tightening of the nut 4| on the latter section brings the wall 43 against the top of such section and reduces the diameter thereof sufilciently to clamp the two sections tightly together, this being per-.

mitted by the slot 42. 1

As in Figs. 1 to 3, in orderto. makeproper connection of staff 31 as an antenna, to a radio receiver on the car, an insulated wire-34 .is provided which runs down through the central bore of the insulator 19, then through the metal piece [8 into the channel'l4a. or: the-bracket l4, and

then under the bead of the fender 13 for extension to the radio receiver. The insulation 34 of;

distance between the bottom of the thread of the socket '24 and the :bottom of the socket, that,

this'wiref covers the latter completely except close up to the upper end. of the wire'where bared to allow it to be gripped in the eyelet-clip 35. This clip; as in Fig. 3, is secured in the insulator l9 by the .bushing 20.

- Variations and modifications may be made within thescope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim;

1. A combined fender guide and radio antenna comprising a metal'staff adapted to carry a target near its top; a metal fender clamp; a connectionbetween said clamp and the staff including an insulator having a socket, and a metal liner secured in said socket and within which liner is secured the lower end of the stall; and a' terminal: having a conductor to connect the staff as an antenna to a radio receiver, said terminal being confined in the socket by the liner.

2. A combined fender guide and radio antenna comprising a metal staff adapted to carry a targetnear its top; a metal fender clamp; a connection between said clamp and the staff including'an insulator presenting a socket, a metal bushing threaded into said socket, said bushing having an internal thread and the lower end of the staff having a coacting external thread whereby the staff may be screwed in the bushing; and an annular terminal for a conductor to connect the'stafi as an antenna to a radio receiver, said terminal being interposed between the bottom of the socket and the bushing.

3. A device as in claim 2, in which there is a hollow target on the fender guide near the top of the staff; in which there. is a mounting means for an electric lamp in the target; in which the insulator has an upwardly extending socket at its lower end; in which there is a metal member upstanding from and conductively carried by the metal fender clamp, and extended into and in threadedengagement withthe socket last-mentione'd'; and in which there is an annular terminal for a conductor to supply current to the lamp, said terminal being confined in the socket last-mentioned by said upstanding metal member. i

4. A combined fender guide and antenna, comprising a supporting structure having means for securingjthe' same to the fender of an automobile at an edge thereof, said. structure including an upstanding metal member; an upstanding metal staff; means' for mechanically connecting but electrically insulating the stafi from said supporting structure comprising an insulator at its lower portion sleeving said member and at its upper portion sleeving the lower end of the stafi; and a plurality of. terminals one connected to the staff and one to said member and both housed in the insulator and insulated thereby from each other.

5. A combined fender guide andantenna, comprising a supporting structure having means for securing the same to the fender of an automobile atan'edge thereof, said structure including an upstanding metal member; an upstanding metal staff; means for: mechanically connecting but electrically insulating the staff from said supporting, structure comprising an insulator at its lower portion sleeving saidmember and at its upper portion sleeving the lower end of, the staff; and. a terminal housed withinthe insulator and connected to thestaff.

6. .Acombined fender guide and antenna, comprising a" supporting structure having means for securing the same? to the fender of an automobile at an edge thereof, said structure including an upstanding metal member; a tubular metal staff; a hollow target near the top of the stafi; means for mounting an electric bulb in the target and having terminals one insulated from the other; means for mechanically connecting but electrically insulating the staff from said supporting structure comprising an insulator at its lower portion sleeving said member and at its upper portion sleeving the lower end of the staff; a plurality of annular terminals both housed in the insulator, with one in contact with the lower end of the staff but insulated from said member, and the other in contact with said member but insulated from the staff; .a wire extending from the stafi but insulated therefrom and joining one of the terminals of the lamp mounting and the annular terminal which is in contact with the upstanding metal member'; another wire passing through the staff but insulated therefrom and from the wire first-mentioned, this wire extending from the other terminal of the lamp mounting and passing through both annular terminals but insulated therefrom, for connection to a source of current supply; and a third wire extending from the annular terminal which is in contact with the staff and passing through the other annular terminal but insulated therefrom, for connection to a radio receiver.

JOSEPH H. COHEN. 

